Currently, different media types are used in printers. One such example is that of rolled media which is commonly used in large format printers. There are also several different rolled media types manufactured by different companies. Large format printers are relatively expensive and should be capable of using a variety of media types. In connection with most printers, different media types are used for different print applications and often require different print parameters for effective printing. For example, some media types receive different ink, some can run quicker than others and the drying time may be different depending on the media used. The print parameters are typically capable of being adjusted on the printer.
Additionally, it is relatively common that print media are installed backwards in the printer, particularly with the relatively large print media for large format printers. This could possibly adversely affect the print job.
Currently, the information about the print media, i.e. type, lot, media size etc is contained only on the packaging information. Frequently, the packaging material is discarded once the media is loaded into the printer. The absence of information about the print media type could possibly result in the printer being set to the improper parameters for the particular print job.